With the development of technology, there is an increasing need for securing access to computers and computer-controlled devices or systems where only authorized users be identified and be distinguished from non-authorized users. For example, mobile phones, digital cameras, tablet PCs, notebook computers and other portable electronic devices have become more and more popular in personal, commercial and governmental uses. As a specific example, portable electronic devices for personal use should be equipped with security to protect the user's privacy. In another example, a computer or a computer-controlled device or system for an organization or enterprise should be secured to allow only authorized personnel to access in order to protect the information or the use of the device or system for the organization or enterprise. The information stored in portable devices and computer-controlled databases, devices or systems, may be personal in nature, such as personal contacts or phonebook, personal photos, personal health information or other personal information, or confidential information for proprietary use by an organization or enterprise, such as business financial information, employee data, trade secrets and other proprietary information. If the security of the access to the electronic device or system is compromised, these data may be accessed by others, causing loss of privacy of individuals or loss of valuable confidential information. Beyond security of information, securing access to computers and computer-controlled devices or systems also allow safeguard the use of devices or systems that are controlled by computers or computer processors such as computer-controlled automobiles and other systems such as ATMs.
Security access to a device such as a mobile device or a system such as an electronic database and a computer-controlled system can be achieved in different ways such as use of user passwords. A password, however, may be easily to be spread or obtained and this nature of passwords can reduce the level of the security. Moreover, a user needs to remember a password to use electronic devices or systems, and, if the user forgets the password, the user needs to undertake certain password recovery procedures to get authenticated or otherwise regain the access to the device and such processes may be burdensome to users and have various practical limitations and inconveniences. The personal fingerprint identification can be utilized to achieve the user authentication for enhancing the data security while mitigating certain undesired effects associated with passwords.
Electronic devices or systems, including portable or mobile computing devices, may employ user authentication mechanisms to protect personal or other confidential data and prevent unauthorized access. User authentication on an electronic device or system may be carried out through one or multiple forms of biometric identifiers, which can be used alone or in addition to conventional password authentication methods. One form of biometric identifiers is a person's fingerprint pattern. A fingerprint sensor can be built into the electronic device to read a user's fingerprint pattern so that the device or system can only be unlocked by an authorized user of the device or system through authentication of the authorized user's fingerprint pattern.